Romário de Sousa is a Brazilian rider from Vitoria, Espírito Santo. He caught our eye some time ago and now was the perfect time to bring him on the team fresh off his Brazilian National Championship title in 2024. Romário brings a lot of style and power to team Zap and joins his Brazilian brethren on the team, Leo Freitas and Bruno Sá. We’re stoked to see what he has in store for 2025. Learn more about Romário below!
- Birthday: May 18, 1994
- Weight: 75 kg
- Height: 1.71 meters
- Hometown: Vitoria, Espírito Santo, Brazil
- Favorite Skim Spot: Itaparica Beach, Vila Velha city, Espírito Santo
- Instagram: @romario1sousa.
- Main Achievements: National skimboard champion in 2024 / Two-time state champion in 2017 and 2018, being the first circuit champion undefeated / Runner-up at UST Sununga 2021 / Breakthrough athlete of the II Brazilian Skimboard Cup in 2011
- Goals for 2025: Traction Sponsorship / Run all national events / To be two-time national champion / Running the UST in Mexico and Brazil / Run events in Portugal and the region on the same date / Skimboarding promotion at WSL Saquarema / Riding giant waves tow-in with a skimboard / Teach skimboarding lessons and participate in lectures on the subject / Produce a skimboarding film / Producing content on skim trips around Brazil
ZAP: Congrats on joining Zap, Romário! What does it mean to you?
Romário: One of the original skimboard brands, Zap has always captivated me with its cheerful team riders. The feeling of belonging to a true family that supports each other in and out of the water is the ideal support that keeps the essence of skimboarding strong. In addition, Zap produces incredible marketing content about its athletes. Being part of this team also drives me to have more global visibility and to create new forms of media. Zap's history is fascinating, being predominant on the East Coast of the United States, concerned with promoting skimboarding to future athletes. As a teacher of the sport, I also care about the longevity and evolution of skimboarding. Therefore, being part of the Zap Skimboard family is the fulfillment of the old dream of a humble Brazilian boy who, when he started riding, never imagined that he would reach this global level. I truly understand how important and special it is to be at Zap and I will represent it with all my sweat, blood and tears as long as I have the Zap logo on my board. I hope forever!
I got my first professional board when I was 16 years old. In my state, it was traditional to ride skimboards using polyethylene boards. It was in mid-2009 that professional vacuum-filled boards became affordable. In 2011, I participated for the first time in the Brazilian Skimboard Cup, at Barra do Jucu beach, in the city of Vila Velha, Espírito Santo. In October, there was the 2nd Brazilian Skimboard Cup, in which I was a revelation athlete and gained national visibility.
